Various outdoor activities including outdoor sports, winter sports, hunting, and fishing often subject a participant to bitterly cold weather. Such activities as, for example, duck hunting, goose hunting, ice fishing, snow mobiling, skiing and the like subject the participant to extremely cold temperatures which are sometimes accompanied by high winds and chill factor.
Many times persons working in areas which are not protected from wind such as sailors, or offshore oil rig workers are subjected to high winds and cold temperatures which can cause a great deal of discomfort to the head and facial areas.
It is well-known that the head and neck areas of a human are significant areas of heat loss during cold weather. The use of full coverage hats for the purpose of keeping an individual warm during cold weather has been a common practice.
A significant problem which accompanies full coverage hats is that they become quite uncomfortable during a rapid temperature rise. For example, it is common for a duck hunter, deer hunter, or goose hunter to be subjected to chilling temperatures of below zero in the early morning hours and yet be warmed significantly as the day progresses and the sun begins to shine. It is not unusual for pre-dawn temperatures to be at or below 0.degree. F. and noon day temperatures to rise to 40.degree. F.-70.degree. F. if the sun is bright. Various types of caps and hats are convertible having flaps which can cover the ears of the individual and yet fold upwardly onto the crown of the hat in order to expose the ears as temperatures warm. These hats however do not protect the facial areas of the wearer. One such convertible type cap can be seen in the Rosenberg patent, U.S. Pat. No. 1,639,468 issued Aug. 16, 1927 and entitled "Cap." In that patent, FIGS. 1 and 3 show a cap with the ear flaps in a downward position and in an upward position respectively.
Some hats or hoods provide a downwardly depending skirt which extends from the crown to the upper shoulder area of the individual thus covering the neck area of the wearer. For example, the Gianola patent entitled "Head Covering Garmet" (U.S. Pat. No. 2,839,757) shows a garmet comprised of fabric tailored to provide area which respectively cover the top, back and sides of the wearer and the tailored fabric extends downwardly from the back and side areas to constitute respective areas that cover the back and sides of the neck of the wearer. A pair of baffles are retracted into the walls of the skirt so that they can be stored when not in use. A fabric web of flexible material is secured inside a pocket on each side of the skirt. When a particular baffle is inserted into its pocket, the web of material folds upon itself and when the baffle is withdrawn from the pocket for use, the web locates the rearward edge of the baffle at the front edge of the hood and slightly inside the pocket. The baffles are also removable when weather conditions render them useless.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,316,778 entitled "Combined Cap Scarf" issued to L. H. Ensten in 1919 relates to a combined cap and scarf, which provides a cap with angular flaps at each side, together with a broad band stitched to the angularly-related edges of the flaps at the back of the cap, and with separate long pendent ends at the front of the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,437,244 entitled "Headwear" issued to M. E. Heinrich in 1922 relates to improvements in head wear and particularly to an article which may be worn as a helmet cap, with strap portions extending downwardly and fastened beneath the chin of the wearer so as to confine the hair: these strap portions also being adapted to be turned up against the sides of the crown portion of the article, the construction being such as to give the appearance of an attractive hat.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,686,317 entitled "Head Wearing Apparel" issued in 1954 to H. O. Michaelis. An object of this apparatus is the provision of a cap or hood for receiving the entire head and face of the wearer and wherein certain portions of the face covering sections of said cap or hood may be swung laterally away from the face and held in positions to provide an opening through which the eyes, nose, mouth, and chin of the wearer may be exposed, provision also being made at the same time to securely fasten the hood or cap around the wearer's neck with a more or less snug fit.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,743,454 entitled "Insulated Sound Transmitting Ear Cells for a Cap" issued in 1956, discloses a winter cap for use by members of the armed services, and the like, having means adjacent to the ears of the wearer for protecting the ears from cold and wind, but readily admitting sound.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,508 entitled "Safety Helmet Liner and Assembly" issued in 1965 to W. W. Cox. This patent shows a winter liner which is adapted for assembly within any safety helmet for providing means, without buckles or straps, for anchoring the ear flaps against the neck during use and alternately for holding the flap ends up against the safety helmet itself when desired; and further provides increased sound transmission through the flaps while yet retaining a certain degree of protection from the elements.
A French Pat. No. 420,634 shows a hood-like hat that connects under the chin.
A U.S. Pat. No. Des. 189,233 entitled "Hood" issued in 1960 shows an ornamental design for a hood having a skirt which could cover the wearer's neck.
The above devices suffer in that they are either too complicated and/or do not provide a fully covering hat which protects all areas of the face, yet convertibility into multiple positions depending upon weather conditions.